The Secretary of State reiterated that Washington does not intend to recognize the results of referendums in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as well as the entry of these regions into the comp...WASHINGTON, September 30.
/tass/. The United States does not object to the use by Kiev of Western weapons supplied to it as part of military assistance to the former parts of Ukraine that joined the Russian Federation. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said this at a joint press conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly at the State Department on Friday.
The Secretary of State was asked whether the United States had given Kiev any instructions regarding "whether Western weapons can be used in eastern Ukraine." In response, Blinken reiterated that Washington does not intend to recognize the results of referendums in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as well as the entry of these regions into the Russian Federation. "This territory remains Ukrainian. It will always be a part of Ukraine. <...> As I said, Ukraine has every right to defend its entire territory, to protect the people who are on it, as well as to return the territory that was illegally taken from them <...>. Our support for Ukraine will continue, and Ukraine can use this assistance throughout the country as Ukraine sees fit to to defend their territory and, if necessary, to return it," Blinken replied.
From September 23 to 27, referendums on joining Russia were held in the DPR and LPR, as well as in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The overwhelming majority of their residents voted for joining the Russian Federation. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions signed agreements on the accession of these regions to Russia.
The Russian leader at the ceremony of admission to the Russian Federation of the mentioned regions said that the Russian Federation is ready to resume negotiations with Ukraine, but will not discuss the choice of residents of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions - they become Russians forever. Moscow, Putin stressed, will defend its new territories "with all available forces and means," and the West has no moral right to challenge the results of the referendums.
